Newfoundland 1 - Icebergs and Whales

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Icebergs and Whales ???

NO … sorry, there are no icebergs and whales in the north of Newfoundland … in September. They have both wandered east into the North Atlantic Ocean. We've been teased by dozens of signs offering Iceberg & Whale Quests out into the Ocean. Alas, to see them we have to Google it. May and June would be the months to experience them.

However … what we have encountered has been so spectacular that I find myself struggling for words to describe. Here goes! At the outset, it is time to number these journals. Newfoundland is so magnificent that we can only share a little bit at a time, so this being the first one so numbered; Newfoundland 1.

We landed at 6:30 in the morning as the sun rose and immediately headed north with the goal being to get to Gros Morne National Park, find a place to stay and take a long nap. Ferry travel at night is not conducive to sleep. The drive is beautiful but distracting … the wind is fierce. The picture of the flag displays its strength, flapping so hard the end is blurry.

The ferry docked at Port Aux Basques on the southwest tip of the Rock. Newfoundland (best pronunciation we could find was 'Nuu-fin-land’ with emphasis on the land). The picture at the ferry dock best shows why this land is called the rock. However, we see lots of Spruces and Firs.

What are the roads like here? Well, they are much like England: they drive on the left side of the road and in Newfoundland they drive on what’s left of the road. They’ve found that it is more cost efficient to post a sign that says "Potholes Ahead" than actually fixing the potholes. Kinda like Alaska also.

Anchors Aweigh

We find a nice little private campground in Rocky Harbour and settle in. Theater and music are found all over the Island and in Rocky Harbour there is a little group called Anchors Aweigh. Anchors Aweigh Music Revue at the Ocean View Pub in Rocky Harbour at Gros Morne National Park

We get the last tickets available and are entertained by such talented musicians and comedians that are a wonderful beginning to this island-province adventure. We are laughing and clapping by the third song.

A Little Geography

This picture of a stylized map is not only fun, but it gives you an idea of where we go. At the bottom left hand corner you can find the ferry at Channel-Port aux Basques . See the lobster halfway up the west coast … that’s Gros Morne National Park. At the tip top north is a Viking Ship. We do go up there … (more later). Across the center of the province is a good road. The only way east and west which we take, however, you will see we take a few side roads off this one.

 

Gros Morne

Newfoundland is an expanse of coves, bights, tickles, lakes, ponds, bays, brooks, inlets, rivers, and arms … all which indicate water; and capes, points, islands, harbours, causeways, bridges and docks … all spaces that bond with water in some way. For us Coloradans who are land locked in the middle of the states, we are intoxicated with all this water. W head for the boats. Niagara Falls Maid of the Mist into the falls, Flowerpot Island boat, Ferry to NL … and now a boat that ventures up a fjord.

Although this boat is more challenging. To get to the boat requires almost a two-mile hike to the dock. Before we venture out, at the parking lot we discover another Roadtrek. There is a bond instantly as we meet Carol, who has found her way here from San Dimas, California. A fascinating lady and we share this adventure with her. That’s Carol and Dan in the picture.

The hike out to the dock is necessary because what was once a glacier-formed fjord had been blocked from the Gulf of St. Lawrence by a lifting of the land and the formation of a bog. Dead plants have piled up here for about 8,000 years. This isn’t just a giant compost heap! Bog water is cold and acidic, and contains almost no oxygen. Decay stops. Stems, leaves, and pollen become pickled in the peat. There is almost four metres (13 feet!) of peat now. The bog is higher than the surrounding ridges and each year grows a bit higher and wider. The hike in itself is a wonder! A tentative foot ventured off of the boardwalk reveals a spongy surface.

The fjord is spectacular. So many impressive, breathtaking sights to see.  So …in the next issue of this blog I will share the trip up the fjord. … Stay tuned for "Newfoundland 2 – Fjords and Vikings

The boat at Western Brook Pond is at the end of two mile easy walk. We are hiking to this boat which will take us into the canyon … seen at the right far distance.

 

What We Discovered

 Gros Morne National Park

https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/nl/grosmorne/info

WESTERN BROOK POND BOAT TOUR 

The boat tour can be reached via Route 430, 27 kilometres north of Rocky Harbour

http://www.bontours.ca/tour/western-brook-pond-boat-tour/

 

 Comments

Sounds fantastic! From Tom Stella, on Sep 19, 2016 at 12:05AM

We Think it was Quebec or New Brunswick

Monday, September 12, 2016

North Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada

This post will be short (or fast if you read it right).

We left Tobermory realizing that if we didn't get to Newfoundland soon, it would be frozen over. So the next 1600 miles were a kind of blur. Regretfully we sped past Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Cape Breton … traveling up the St. Lawrence River and across the Gaspe and straight to the Cape Breton, Nova Scotia Ferry Harbor

We did 1600 miles in four days … waking up each morning in a different Province. (And violating our 330 miles or 3:30 p.m. rule for each day). First night on the road we stayed at a Walmart in Ajax, Ontario, the 2nd night at a campground in St. Mathieu de Beloeil in Quebec, the 3rd night at a Costco in Fredericton, New Brunswick and the 4th night on the midnight ferry over to Newfoundland from North Sydney, Cape Breton to Port aux Basques, Newfoundland.

What about our fifth Great Lake? Well we did see it briefly as we raced north and away from it.

Driving hundreds of miles along the St. Lawrence River was amazing. Taking pictures of this wondrous seaway is like taking a picture of a comma in a sentence and trying to see the whole sentence … . It will eventually widen into the St. Lawrence Gulf and then into the Atlantic. Roadside rest along the St. Lawrence River.  La Pocatière is a town in the Kamouraska Regional County Municipality in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region of Quebec, Canada.

Through Quebec we were many times perplexed to see only French on all the road signs. Good thing I had my smart phone translator app to find our way through there. We stopped to mail a birthday card to our grandson and inquired to find a "Poste Canada". Either all eight of the people we talked to spoke ONLY French … or they pretended to not have any English. Eventually we figured it out, but it was frustrating.

We did discover this: One person we met who had lived in the U.S. explained that there's a whole generation of young people who were not allowed to learn English during the Separatist movement years ... 50s through the 80s. This person explained that her children wanted to learn English but because they were of French heritage were prohibited from doing so.  They taught their children English surreptitiously.

 Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia

Of all the welcome signs we've taken pictures of, this is the most lovely. There is a geocache in that spot.

In Cape Breton Island, near a gas station we found this little church … wished it was a Sunday; it would have been lovely to go to Mass there. We were in Wagmatcook First Nation, a community straddles the Bras D’or Lakes and is one of five Mi’kmaw First Nation communities of Unama’ki (Cape Breton Island, N.S.). The church was named Blessed Kateri, Queen of the World.  Saint Kateri Tekakwitha (pronounced [ˈɡaderi deɡaˈɡwita] in Mohawk), given the name Tekakwitha, baptized as Catherine and informally known as Lily of the Mohawks (1656 – April 17, 1680), is a Roman Catholic saint who was an Algonquin–Mohawk laywoman in what was know as New France, now Montreal, Canada.

The sign welcoming us to Cape Breton mentions the Cabot Trail.  We'll travel the Cabot Trail after we return from Newfoundland.

Ferry to Newfoundland

It was such entertainment watching it load! See the large truck on the top of the ramp on the right. There were dozens and dozens of them. We were the very last to load... as we had tickets for the next day's trip, but were wait-listed for the midnight sailing... which we got on.

SO WE ARE HERE in Newfoundland … Already being amazed, astonished and surprised. The next blog may be long … in two ways … long in length because Newfoundland is a huge island and long in time … not easy finding Wi-Fi here. 

Note the tiny sign at the left of welcome sign. 

Canadians are very creative in designing their signs.

 

 

 

Comments

Feastday: July 14  Patron of the environment and ecology From Deb Gillman, on Sep 14, 2016 at 02:21AM

I didn't know Kateri was patron of ecology! Sabrina was Kateri one Halloween. She is our ecologist. From Dan & Vicki, on Sep 14, 2016 at 10:50AM

I'm enjoying your travel blog. See my comment on Nova Scotia. From Carolyn Forbes, on Sep 14, 2016 at 04:25PM

You know we have lots of cousins in Nova Scotia. Forbeses, Boudreaus, and Langilles. The town that Grandma Leau was from is Digby. From Carolyn Forbes, on Sep 14, 2016 at 04:20PM

Hi Carolyn, thanks. Will be checking out Digby for sure. I brought all my genealogy notes. We'll be doing the rest of the Maritimes on our way south after Newfoundland. From Dan & Vicki, on Sep 14, 2016 at 05:51PM

I'm so glad I happened on your travel blog! I just got caught up and can't wait to read your next post! Love to you both! From Lucie Haskins, on Sep 16, 2016 at 05:43PM

Canada, Fathom Five & Coyote's Birthplace

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Tobermory, Ontario, Canada

COYOTE'S BIRTHPLACE

Our Coyote was born in 2008 in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada at the Roadtrek RV Factory. Who knows where it was for the next six years but in 2014, we rescued this critter from an RV sales lot in Sandy, Oregon. Since then we’ve driven about 30,000 miles and brought him back to his birthplace. The Roadtrek Factory in Kitchener is the only delivery room for Roadtreks in the world. We were treated to an outstanding tour of the facility, walking around the factory from the painting room to the fiberglass shop to woodworking to mechanical to the cutting section. They transform a tin-box panel van tearing out the sides and top and replacing it with fiberglass roof and sides (for the RT Popular model) and then outfitting these babies inside and out to produce an awesome Class B Recreational Vehicle. We saw these transformations going for new Coyote brothers. Special thanks to Dennis and Karen, our tour guide and receptionists for treating us like VIPs!

BRUCE PENINSULA - BETWEEN LAKE HURON AND GEORGIAN BAY

Bruce Peninsula is wedged between Lake Huron and Georgia Bay. See the little dot in the right center of the Great Lakes Map. It is pointing to the Bruce Peninsula. Our adventure heading north in Ontario into the Bruce Peninsula on blue highways with Lake Huron to the west (Canadians pronounce it Hu-ron). This is Amish and Mennonite country again. The horse drawn buggies and people on bicycles are fascinating. The weather is awesome, blue skies and temps in the 70s.

In Kitchener we stayed in a Walmart and in Hanover we stayed in a Walmart as we realized that this was also Labor Day weekend for Canada …. no spaces in any campsites anywhere. For those who worry about us in a parking lot … consider this: the edges of the parking lots face out on acres of trees and meadows and streams. The silence is deafening as there are no cars, no highways and no employees or shoppers around. It is free and with our solar panels, we need nothing to plug into. And all Walmarts have security patrols.

 Owen Sound

As we pulled into Owen Sound (check out the map picture –Owen Sound in the bottom right corner). Our next stop will be at the norther tip of this peninsula (see arrow pointing to Tobermory). We stopped at the Visitor Center (a habit we have in every city). Such a good move. We discovered a big event happening in the sound. (Sound: an inlet from a lake or sea; a fjord). 

We headed to the City owned campground, Harrison Park, and asked about overflow as we knew the campground would be full. WHAT-REALLY! Someone just left … there was one site waiting just for us. You may have noted we rarely make reservations as we are never sure what direction we are going in next, so this is fortunate. We're tucked in as part of the crowded weekend campers attending the salmon event -- see green oval in the picture. We stay 2 ½ days, got caught up on laundry and showers and do some sightseeing in the sound.

This weekend there is a huge event in the sound … Salmon Spectacular Derby. Fishermen from all over are fishing for the largest critter for huge prizes. Saturday night there is a huge fish fry (that tent was huge … figure 1000 people fed. 

We traveled to the event by riding our bicycles the 5½ metric clicks (3½ miles) from campsite to the sound. One thing about cycling, you see fascinating places you miss zooming by in a car … like unique landscaping, charming houses, funny signs and even a salmon ladder right in the middle of town. See the funny planters in the picture. 

 At the fish fry we meet Lois and Ernie, a young engaged couple. They are retired and their wedding is in December in the church where they volunteer and met. Most interesting and happiest couple we’ve met thus far. He from Holland originally and she who lived in Owen Sound since the 60s.

Heading north from Owen Sound on Labor Day, we are bound for the Roadtreking Group Rally at Cyprus Lake at Tobermory. (Tobermory means ‘Mary’s Rest’). Large boondocking campsites on the lake filled with about 50 Roadtreks. Our coyote is in RT heaven. This is the only stop on our way that we’ve reserved. The rally affords us the opportunity to meet, share with, and laugh about our RT lifestyle.

The 4 days includes a boat trip to Flowerpot Island which is a Marine Park called Fathom Five. See picture for more info. The Island is one of 14 islands at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula in a Marine Preserve.

The ‘flowerpot’ rock formations are formed by lower layers of limestone eroding and leaving upper layers of dolomite to form these remarkable structures.

We hiked the loop through the island and around the edges … an actual rainforest with large sprawling tree roots and boulders and ferns and high humidity. Pictures of the inner loop hike shows a dot of blue … that’s Dan in his blue shirt. The island is eroded down to hard rocks that provide nature’s stair steps to the beach. The white beach is not sand … lots of small rocks.

These pictures are at on our hike through and around the island. The seagull stood until we took his picture. Steep parts of the trail in the center of the island are enhanced with these steps. The Grotto on the Island is a tricky hike over boulders and rocks --- spotted a mermaid.

This is Sunset from our campsite on Cyprus Lake on the Bruce Peninsula

Next … heading northeast to Newfoundland … heading up the St. Lawrence River … 3,300 Km. (2,000 miles). We need to get there before it ices up. Every time we mention our destination, the reaction is awe and a note that we will not regret it, it is worth the drive!